[Sam]

After the first post, I tried contacting the baggage claim phone no. given by justme, and after I was on hold for about 27 minutes (not exaggerating), I disconnected the line. The local STL baggage claim officers were very busy so they never picked up the phone.

Finally I went to the airport myself again at night, found an extremely helpful Japanese lady Keiko san, who after hearing my stories and finding no clues from her system, took me to the NorthWest Counter. There one black lady after a long fight with her system, got us back two different luggage tags, tagged with my luggage now, and told us that it is now scheduled to leave Atlanta tomorrow (20th) in the morning to St. Lucia, West Indies.

So, that japanese lady Keiko san frantically tried to stop that movement, sent 4 messages in front of me, tried calling different people, and no one answered her call. Finally since it was my luggage, I called that same 1-800 number, and this time waited for about 47 minutes, before I finally won this time to listen to a human voice.

One lady, after listening to my entire story, told me that tomorrow (talking to her on 19th late night) I will get it (20th). I was about to leave the phone, thinking my job was done, and then on a hindsight asked for the flight number, my luggages will come thru. She told me the same flight number DL561, which was the flight to take my luggages out of Atlanta to St. Lucia, West Indies. So, stunned me asked her to patiently hear my story one more time, and requested her that my objective of the call is to stop that movement, and get the luggage back at STL. After about 15 minutes on hold, she came back, and now confirmed that yes, she did it, and now I will get the luggage tomorrow (20th) by DL4979 which is reaching STL at 8:14 AM. I went back to Keiko san, updated her with this info, and she could only find some remark which says that the passenger talk to her and no mention about diverting the luggage. I thought it is already late night, close to 11:30 PM, so may be, she will take care of it, afterwards. So, went back to hotel and did not persue it any more.

I went back to airport on 20th at 8:00 AM, the flight DL4979 was delayed, and reached a little after 8:25 AM, and I discovered to my utter dismay, that my luggages were not there. So, I rushed to Delta baggage room agent, and told another black lady, my full story, and now she discovered, that my luggage actually boarded DL561 and left Atlanta for St. Lucia during the time, when I was describing my problem to her.

She again tried her best, sent 4 messages, tried calling Newark, Atlanta, St. lucia but unfortunately none responded. I asked for the number of St. Lucia, she politely declined. Since it was my luggage and I am destined to leave for Tokyo on 21st, I find out the number from web search, called them and requested them to send my luggages back, on the return flight.

They agreed to do it. My sister, who lives in NJ, also did another call, and they confirmed that they will do it. And then again, after the departure time of return flight I called St. Lucia, and they confirmed that my baggage left St. lucia, and I should get it today (20th) night time, by last flight.

I again went to the airport at night, and enquired about my luggage to the baggage agent, and she horrified me by saying that it is scheduled to depart from St. Lucia tomorrow 21st, by DL560.

I do not know, how this mess keeps going on. As I will be leaving STL tomorrow morning (around 8 am on 21st), this time, the Delta agent said that she will send a message to Atlanta, to divert my luggage to Tokyo, from Atlanta itself. And this time I protested, as I have seen all of their performance, I felt I have 1% chance of getting back my luggage if it now reaches STL at night, and then the baggage agents can send that baggage to me at Tokyo, as they have seen me, everyday, going to airport, in 3 shifts. Since all of them has seen my face, I felt it has better chance of retrieval than to stop it at Atlanta and get it delivered to Tokyo. Isnt it right?

I read a lot of comments and suggestions from the other airline baggage handler sympathisers or former baggage handlers. They were all almost always anonymously feeling that baggage handler is not the decision or policy maker, and they were hired to do exactly what they are doing. If that be so, whom shall we go to? Will this problem is worth to be owned by someone from the carrier? Or was it my fault? Since I had similar bad experience earlier, I was avoiding Delta airlines and became member of NW but unfortunately Delta purchased them and hence I had to use their flights. I believe somebody definitely should own up this problem and try to rectify it. Customer service has taken a serious beating because of recession? May be. I do not have the answer. Let me know, what is others view. (This is why, I knew from the very first day, that I had to catch hold of a responsible person and not the baggage handlers and hence asked for their contact details, if any one knows it, here)

Anyway, thanks to justme, for coming back promptly on my problem. When I was not getting help from any quarter as a foreigner in a foreign land, my meeting with Microsoft went hayware, this kind of responses really help us to keep our cool. Thanks to justme.

I fervently hope, I will get back my luggages in Tokyo by end of this week. Am I expecting too much even now?